No, you don’t need that $500 WOOM bike for your toddler

I’m writing this as my 3.5-year-old son has just started pedaling on his own for a few minutes at a time, after only 2–3 practice sessions with his dad.

My son is obsessed with all kinds of vehicles—not just toys, but things he can actually ride. At one year old, he was already cruising around the neighborhood and through the hills on a 4-wheel balance bike. By nearly two, he moved up to a 2-wheel balance bike. He mastered it within a few months, but we spent a long time searching for the right “big kid” bike…

THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT BIKE

Knowing how much he loves sports and cycling, Dad said to Mom, “Maybe we should invest in a high-quality bike for him?”

Dad had his eye on a Woom GO 2 bike. But when Mom saw the price, she was floored: “Absolutely not!”

I didn’t want to drop nearly $500 on a bike—or even $250 for a used one—that he’d only use for a year or two. I know they hold their value and have great resale, but it still felt like an unnecessary expense. We can get a fancy bike when he’s older and riding more seriously.

He still loved biking, but the balance bike wasn’t exciting anymore because it wasn’t a challenge. He’d already taken it up and down plenty of hills and neighborhoods.

Every now and then, we’d waver and let him try out a Woom at the bike shop… Fortunately (and unfortunately), he didn’t quite fit yet. He was too small for the frame. Even as he approached age three, we still hadn’t found the right fit.

I even tried buying a JOYSTAR Kids Bike for him, but it was still too tall and super heavy. No kid bike should be that heavy!

Then, one beautiful day, while he was out on his scooter (which he’d mastered by then), he saw two neighbor boys biking. He stood there calling out, “Ding dong! Ding dong!” (because the neighbor’s bike had a bell).

Through that interaction, we met the neighbors and discovered their current bike. The neighbor boy was riding a cute little bike that might finally fit our son. I checked the price online: $65+. I was over the moon and bought it immediately, figuring: If that kid can ride it, mine can too.

He was still a bit small for the frame, so we put on training wheels just so he could have some fun. He learned to pedal, but he had forgotten his balancing skills.

We started second-guessing ourselves again: “Is it because this bike is ‘cheap’ that he isn’t getting it?”

We restarted him with his balance bike at the tallest setting.

FINALLY, HE WAS READY

Once he hit 3.5 and the warm spring weather arrived, I nudged Dad: “Let’s try the bike again; he can probably reach the ground now.” So, the two of them took off the training wheels and put in the work that weekend.

We were ecstatic because after that first practice session, he started to find his balance and pedal on his own. By the second session, he could ride solo as long as he kept his gaze ahead. By the third session, he looked like a total pro.

I’m so happy and proud that we didn’t need to buy an expensive bike for him to become a great rider. There’s still a long road of practice ahead, but his progress has been such an encouragement to us.

OH, WHAT’S HIS BIKE?

Here’s his super value-for-money bike: Huffy 12″ Rock It Kids’ Bike, Fits Riders 37″ – 42″ (Now $72 @Walmart).

I also highly recommend his previous balance bikes:

SEREED Baby Balance Bike for 1 Year Old : https://amzn.to/4bGHRlM .

We got it while it was on sale two years ago. After a year of daily use, it was still in very good condition, and our second kid can reuse it any time.

Strider 12” Sport Bike – No Pedal Balance Bicycle for Kids: https://amzn.to/4d5kNi3.

We were gifted this one, and it was still like new. It’s on the expensive end, but since we had a great experience with it, I’d recommend it if you can afford it. This bike really set the skills for my toddler to learn how to ride.